"Uh, whose is that?"

Adam glanced up at Eva who was standing on the stairs, hip perched on the handrail, her facade marred with just a glint of panic.

"The motorbike? Oh, it's mine." He answered, trying to match the nonchalant front she was trying to put up. "I leave it at a friend's ranch whenever I'm going out of Wyoming. I had it delivered to me early this morning."

"Oh, so you can keep it here with you while you're in Wyoming?" She asked, hope lighting her eyes.

"No so we can take it out on today's adventure."

Her facade cracked into a full-blown incredulous look. "You must be crazy. I'm not getting on that bike."

"Why?" He lifted his brows.

"Why???" She parroted in a horrified voice. "Do you know that the risk of dying from riding a motorcycle is 37 times more than from driving a car? I mean, I once saw a motorcycle collide with a car. The car driver only had a few scratches. The motorcyclist died on the spot."

"I see." He intoned with a blasé expression.

She stepped down the stairs and walked up to where he was standing beside his Harley Davidson. "I'm being serious. I think you are insane if you expect me to ride on this thing.".

"And I think you need to give yourself a break and step away from that pessimistic mindset." He mused, ignoring her when she grimaced at him.

"Besides, where has all that spunk you woke up with this morning traveled to? I'd go and bring it back to wipe out your fear."

Aware she was a woman who could never resist a taunt, he knew his last sentence would get her. And it did.

Taking a step back away from him, she jammed her hands on her jean-clad hips. "Who said I was afraid?"

"You're not?" He let a mocking smile stretch his lips. "What are we waiting for then? Let's go."

"Isn't the road covered with too much snow?"

"I've had a little path cleared up to the points that the snowplows have done."

Not wanting her to back out, he swung his leg and sat on the bike, facing away from her. When after some seconds she still hadn't hopped on, he looked back to find her looking at him skeptically.

"You know what?" Her face lighted up as if she'd twigged something. "I just realized that cars are far more fun than motorcycles. So you ride on this. I'll take my car."

With that, she turned to scurry off, but Adam caught hold of her elbow before she could take three steps. She seemed tense, and he wondered whether it was from his touch or her fear of motorbikes. He hoped it was the former.

Slowly, he managed to get her hesitant form to face him again. "Hey, do you think I'll let anything happen to you?"

Striking amber eyes gazed back at him, turned away as their owner swallowed, then returned to him. This time it was filled with grim determination, her face taking on a fierce look that made her look dangerous and all too sexy.

"Let's do this, baby!"

"That's more like it."

He stabled the motorcycle so she could hop on, then handed her the helmet. The quick way she took it from his had made him smile.

"Wait! You don't have a helmet?" She asked after she'd put it on.

"Don't worry 'bout me, sweetheart. I'm good." He turned the ignition, and he heard her yelp as the machine purred to life. "Now hold on to me."

Her arms embraced his torso instantly, and Adam hissed, his body warming with the lust that'd sprung to life the very first time he'd met her at her friend's party. Dragging in a deep breath, he stepped on the pedal.

"Oh my God!" She screamed, her hold on his stomach getting tighter as the motor zoomed off, making her breasts nudge against his back. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

While she was freaking out, Adam basked in the feel of the air rushing past, violently ruffling his hair, and whipping against his face, experiencing the rush that riding on his motorcycle always gave him.

After some frantic yelps here and there, Eva finally eased up, and her hold of his torso finally loosened which was a welcome distraction.

Otherwise, he wasn't sure he would've maintained enough control to keep them from crushing at the way her hands had been squeezing at his abs.

Going to bed last night had been pure torture. His mind had been aflame with pure, erotic fantasies, especially after the openly flirtatious moment they'd had while he'd been massaging her just before she'd dampened the mood, acting as if it'd meant nothing.

What the hell was the woman doing to him? And what was it about her that'd driven out the thoughts of the woman he'd met at the New Year's Eve party?

Her arms pulled off from around him completely, and she yelled again, this time from excitement. "Damn, this is so much fun!"

After some minutes, her arms came right back around him when he took a turn, but it didn't take long for her to sit on her own again as she apparently enjoyed the rush too.

When they reached the horse stables, Adam first slowed before coming to a stop so that she wasn't startled, then stabled the machine so that she could get off it.

"You were so right!" She was practically bouncing up and down like an excited seven-year-old. "Wow, this was so great."

The cry of horses filled the place, and Adam stepped off the bike. "I can teach you to ride."

"Uh, no thanks." The fear was back in her eyes. "Why use a motorcycle when there are cars?"

"Yo man," Trevor, a rugged-looking man dressed in cowboy clothes approached them. "Is she the girl?"

"Yep." He answered.

Trevor stepped closer to them, turning to Eva. "Hey there, beauty. I'm Trevor. Pleasure to meet you." His eyes roved lewdly over her body, and Adam clenched a fist, telling himself it was because of the uncomfortable look on her face.

"Pleasure's all mine." The look on her face said anything but.

"Dude, she's not interested. Just show us the horses." Adam told him straightforwardly before he could make any moves on her, and the man offered him a scowl.

After handpicking one black stallion and a beautiful female white horse-pecks of being the ranch owner's friend-Trevor had them saddled, his signature scowl never leaving his face.

"Thanks, dude," Adam told him, receiving a grunt in return before Trevor stormed off.

Eva cast him a questioning glance. "Jeez, what's his problem?"

Shrugging, Adam checked that the cinch on the saddle was well placed before propping his feet on the leg and jumping on, expecting Eva to do the same, only to turn and find her holding the reins staring at the horse with panicked eyes, chest rising and falling rapidly.

He had to hold back an exasperated breath. "Don't tell me you lied when you said horseback riding is your go-to fun activity!"

"I didn't lie completely, okay." She shot back, looking sheepish. "I fell off a horse when I was sixteen and sprained my ankle, and I've never sat on one again."

Adam looked heavenward and sighed dramatically. "Motorbikes, horses, heights... My God, just what aren't you afraid of."

She let go of the reigns and crossed her arms under her breasts, causing the mounds to jutt up enticingly through the jacket she was wearing.

"Just a few things." Her tone was laced with defiance. "I rode a rollerskate once and sprained my ankle pretty badly."

"In other words, you're a walking disaster."

Her mouth dropped open. "No, I'm not!"

"Of course." Rolling his eyes, he jumped off the horse and went to help her climb hers. He made sure she was well seated before going back to mount his.

"Come on, it's not a lion. It won't eat you." He said, hoping it would help to ease her panic as he rubbed his horse on the head.

And then he proceeded to teach her the rules of horseback riding, how to use the reigns to control the horse and cause it to accelerate, slow down or stop. She was a quick learner, and within an hour, she was bouncing off excitedly on her horse.

The sight was too tempting to resist, and Adam slowed down his horse. Taking out his camera which was stuffed in the inside pocket of his jacket, he quickly took two candid photos of her while she was having too much fun to notice.

She slewed her horse and rode towards him. "Why are you just there? Come on, let's race."

They had three races, and he won each one quite naturally since she still had some honing to do with her horseback riding skills. Another hour later, they were riding back towards the stables to return the horses.

"That was so much fun, oh God." Her voice vibrated with laughter.

Adam found himself fascinated by the way her eyes had lighted up with happiness, the way she threw back her head when she laughed.

It prompted deeper feelings in his stomach other than the lust that this no-strings-attached lifestyle allowed. A shudder stole through him.

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

"You can't truly expect me to walk on that thing!" Eva's horror-filled gaze traveled across the expanse of the canopy bridge.

"I wouldn't bring you here if I didn't." The bridge was barricaded by strong ropes tied in intricate patterns. Treetops surrounded them, the roots of them embedded quite some distance downward.

A chuckle came from their tour guide who was standing behind, and Eva shot him a death glare. His smile dropped, but not the amusement in his eyes. "Eva, I assure you that this is completely safe."

"Yeah, I heard that five minutes ago." She said sarcastically. Stretching out her leg, she delicately prodded at the wooden floor of the bridge and quickly recoiled when it let out a small creak. "No, I can't."

"Yes, you can." Huffing, Adam retraced his steps on the bridge, stopping in front of her and stretching out his hand. "Don't be such a coward."

That seemed to jolt the daring part of her. She took his hand, and while he walked backward, he drew her deeper along the bridge, whispering encouraging things to her. As soon as they'd crossed the bridge halfway, he let go of her hand.

"What? No, you can't... " She protested but he was already turning and hurrying away. "Jerk!"

When he reached the other end of the bridge, he slanted her a teasing smile. "Hurry up now, Miss West. Or would you rather prefer to go back?"

She huffed, her steps slow and deliberate while the bridge quivered slightly. Unable to resist, Adam took out his camera and caught the moment, ignoring her disapproving scowl.

When she had about just a meter left, she ran until she was on the other end beside him, breaths rushing in and out.

"See? Told you you could do it. I'm sure you'll do well on the other four as well."

"What?!"

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

"Look at her. She's so terrified." Eyes widened, Eva pointed at the woman who'd just been strapped on the zipline, her friend standing next in line.

"She's not."

Incredulity wove Eva's face when she turned to look at him. "Not terrified? Can't you see the look on her face?"

"She's pretending to be afraid so that her friend next in line wouldn't feel alone in her fear."

"And how would you know that?"

Kissing his teeth Adam shrugged. He'd always had an eye for seeing deeper than the surface. He supposed that peculiar ability came from being a photographer.

Of being able to look at a person and see past the facades they put up, reading their body language, and picking up certain nuances that others seemed not to notice.

The tour guide pushed said woman, and with a yelp that spoke volumes of nothing but excitement, she went flying down the zipline.

Eva lifted a surprised brow at Adam. "You know, I'm beginning to think you're a wiz or something."